The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1887-10-19
Busy Scenes on Our ssLevee,,..Items
by Our Special.

Busy Scenes Oh Our tsLevee''--Items
by Our Special.
In the pursuit of news. the special re-
porter of THE MIRROR Strolled onto the
''levee." and indeed the scene that saluted
his optics Was but little different from the
of more pretentious ports, if by great
| stretch of imagination the observer could
| but cOnjure up the mirage of broad water
course. for the new building that has just
been erected. for sanitary reasons, in
place of the nOisome ditch that did duty as
| the prison sink for so many years. is well
calculated to mislead casual observers at
distance. The form of this structure is
that of small steamboat, and the tower
ing black stack that was erected last week
heightens the delusion that small stern
wheeler is moOred up receiving cargo and
the ropes and stays, planks. and busy scenes
Of wood saving and piling lend color to the
other levee picture. Great piles of winter
wood are rapidly disappearing from one
part OF the levee to appear at another part,
sawed. split and piled in neat tiers. The
walls Of the new engine room are rapidly
rearing their heights up so that it is neces-
sary to use scatfOlding, and the rapidty
with which this work is being pushed is the
cause OF the resemblance of this portion of
the yard to the river leveeS.
Continuing his walk. the reporter STUN
bled on to a full-feged stone yard. with it's
ceaSelesS clink of hammers. and the great
assortment of stone, both dressed and I'M
dressed. as though volcanic eruption had
taken place-a scene inseparable from all
stone yards. 1t is here that the stone for
the buildings is dressed and finished. Here,
seated on benches or convenient stones,
may be seen the wan faces and meagre
forms of the cOnvalescentS who are recover
ing from sickness or accidents; here they
are given a greater degree of liberty, and
| they converse with each other and breath
the fresh air-a change which aids their re-
covery more rapidly than that which was
formerly in vogue docking the GONZALES
cents in their cels.) There is in most all
prisons cOnvalescent ward or house where
the old and feeble, ana those incapaciated
for labor from sickness. pass their time, and
the utility of such house or ward is ap-
parent AS the hospital is not cOmmOdiOuS
enough to accommodate all the feeble from
age and disease. it would seem that little
temporary structure, provided with stove
and well ventilated. would supply a long
felt want in that direction and gladden. the
heart of many an old and feeble ''cOn."
when ''crmp" has drifted the tieecy atoms
into mounds and lowered the temperature
of his already cold blood. who would other
wise be compelled to pass his days in the
narrow confines of a CELL This is one Of
the healthy innovations which the warden
has undertaken that we would respectfully
call his attention to.
AS the reporter continued his walk. he
soon stood opposite the structure that is in
tended for the new ''sOlitary." and watched
the masons as they layed brick on top of
brick in the divisions Of the cells, and won
dered how much INSTRUMENTATION and mis-.
cry those cells would contain until time and
the elements combined to raZe them. The
building is fast approaching completion. and
stone after stone is raised with CELEBRITY by
the derrick and lowered into its distinct
place. and with a few adroit ''swipes" of the
trOwel by the mason. it Is there for years
| to come.
Turning into State street. the main thor
0ughfare, the scribe wendell his way amid
the buzz of circular saws the dscordant
notes of planning machines and the rumble
of shafting. to the quiet of the editors
sanctum. politely presented this coy for
his august Inspection and quietly made his
obesience, with the reflection that a prison
was dull place. indeed. to Gull news in. as
every day is all almost exact counterpart of
| the preceding one. and events of iDlpOr-
lance to prisoner are few indeed in
| STIR
| ssThe Prison vfError.o
20 iS he 10 pf ma Ia had